War vets intensify Mugabe attack

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) yesterday upped its attack against President Robert Mugabe saying the 93-year-old ruler had done nothing special to deserve another chance to lead the country.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Zimbabwe hold elections next year and Zanu PF has already endorsed Mugabe as its presidential candidate.

Relations between Mugabe and the former freedom fighters have been frosty over the Zanu PF succession matter where the veteran ruler always takes every opportunity of big crowds to insult war veteran leaders.

In an in interview yesterday, war veterans’ spokesperson Douglas Mahiya said Mugabe had inflicted enough pain on the people and must be voted out.

Although he said people should retain their right to vote a leader of their choice, Mahiya emphasised the need for change.

“It is best without him. He has done his part. He has had an opportunity to lead this nation and if he wanted to do things he would have done it in the past 37 years. He is not going to get another 37 years. Opportunity must be given to other people to lead this nation so as to bring economic prosperity,” Mahiya said.

“War veterans would want to see people choosing a leadership that will satisfy their interests and ensure the economy is being handled well and people have jobs and food security.

“Change must be there, war veterans want to see change rather than what we see today. We want change, this is not peace.”
Mahiya said people should choose their next leader without undue influence. He said the same spirit that drove people to fight the oppressive white regime must be the same to push Mugabe out.

The ZNLWVA spokesperson said their role as former freedom fighters was to teach political consciousness so that people would not be hoodwinked in any way.

Mahiya said Mugabe’s regime had deviated from what it fought for during the liberation war.

“When we finally won we wanted to use that political power to come up with policies that would protect those interests and today the people who were at the forefront of the political endeavours of people of Zimbabwe to be liberated are the same people who are oppressing and looting resources,” he said.

Mahiya urged people to desist from violence as the country heads for elections.

» Dolphins’ draft picks | What are your thoughts? New England Patriots: B- The Patriots didn’t need any Day 1 starters, so they traded back and may have landed three potential starters or rotational players in Round 2: SS Patrick Chung, CB Darius Butler and DT Ron Brace.

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, which is a Chapter 12 Independent Commission with the mandate to foster national healing in Zimbabwe, needs to have it’s 10-year mandate reinstated if it is to fulfil its Constitutional mandate. ...